a lumiere film company production
a shaan rahman musical
a jomon t john cinematography
a film from vineeth sreenivasan and friends
thattathin marayathu
19
Feb
12
it’s “thattathin marayathu”
“the most beautiful discovery that true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart.” A great saying by Elizabeth Foley makes a lot of sense to me now. Last Saturday, 4th February was the day when my good old friend Danny got married. That’s not his real name. that’s what we called him. All of us who stayed in Sri Venkateshwara Boys’ Home, Park Road, Chennai in 2000/2001. In higher secondary school register his name was Alpheus Danson Sigamony.
Danny and I met in SBOA school hostel during the academic year 2000. I was away from home for the first time and hated everything around me. The bizarre world of non- malayalees around, scared me!! I was intimidated to even go and talk to anyone. The hostel dormitory was a nightmare and the bathrooms had no locks. Nepali and bihari students dirtied the toilets and most often I had to bathe in public along with many other boys. Shame and self respect were trying hard to find its space and that’s when I met Danny.
Danny is basically from Orissa who speaks Oriya, telugu, tamil, hindi, English & understands Malayalam coz his grand parents are from kerala. We met in the hostel study room through a common mallu friend and a couple of days later, he showed me a paper ad. It was about a private hostel outside SBOA school – only limited no: of students, no out pass system, no strict rules – it was perfect!!! I was looking for an option to jump coz even my under garments were stolen from the school hostel!!
Danny, myself and Aluru Rajesh [another good old Sboa friend] accommodated ourselves into the boys’ home which literally changed my life. I believe every guy or girl should experience hostel life atleast once. It’s where u grow into the person u r. The friendships, quarrels, humiliations, secrecies, revelations, ambitions.. this is the place for everything. Danny and Rajesh are actually the people because of whom I learnt to dream. They were so damn good creatively that I also aspired to be something. I still remember the nights before internal exams when all of us would sit and chat where danny would also be there. He ll have his text book in hand but ll be actively involved in all the gossips and discussions while occasionally grazing through the text book. Around 10 30 pm, we would end the gossip sessions and start preparing for the internals. Danny instead would go to sleep. He would have learnt everything amidst all the heated conversations. And he would come first in class. I used to hate that!!
12 years later, last Saturday on 4th feb, I was going for Danny’s wedding. From the hustle and bustle of Kochi, I drove into the less crowded Pala, from there to a quieter Kuttikkaanam, again up the hills into Peerumedu and finally reached my destination. Paambanaar!! That’s where danny’s grand parents are from. That’s where he was getting married.
Paambanaar looked like a fictitious place with awesome climate, small small shops back dropped by a tea estate; more beautiful than any hilly area I ve ever been to in Kerala. I was 20 mins late, so as soon as I reached, I ran into the St. James CSI church. It was the most beautiful wedding I ever saw. The hall was packed so I had to stand outside. Ceremony had already started and thankfully nobody recognized me there. I wouldn’t know if anyone did because I was just looking at danny and his bride, Sylvia. In two minutes I saw the ring exchange and then the rest of the marriage formalities. There was a light piano playing in the hall and the choir group sang all the “sangeerthanams” so beautifully. I stood there for almost forty minutes and I traveled time and space with so many memories flashing one after the other right in front of me. I never thought I ll be this happy for anyone. I prayed to god that they both should have a great marriage.
Danny & I are not the kind of friends who meet every now and then, call up and enquire the whereabouts but deep inside we have always preserved a lot of love and respect for each other. may be that’s y I am this happy for him. A few months back when I met him in chennai, he told me that he has not watched any of my films and that he wishes to watch one with me someday. In july 2012, when my next directorial film releases, if the Friday reports are good, I would watch the movie on Saturday with danny as he wished. I ve got to be more careful this time… danny is going to watch it!!
vineeth
sri venkateshwara boys’ home, park road, chennai. 
My hands are shaky when I am typing this. Today, 18th December would be an unforgettable day for me. After so many months of preparations and writing, I finally presented the first draft of my new screenplay to my father. I have never discussed anything about this subject to him ever. 17 th night I gave him the draft and I got his opinion around 9pm last night. He said that he loved it. His reaction was overwhelming. And he told me that he is ready to produce the film.
I really don’t know how to express what I feel. I thank everyone of you for wishing good for me. I am definitely wanting to come out with a good film. It’s time to live the dream again.
Vineeth..
i am happy not just because i ve been part of these two films, but also because of the fact that i ve witnessed the pain taken by Rajesh Pillai & Sameer Thahir in making these films. film making is never easy and making something through the road less travelled takes a lot of guts.
now film buffs from all over the world would be watching Traffic & Chappa Kurish.
04
Oct
11
eli preview invite!!!
finally, it’s here
avm studios, vadapalani – that’s where avm preview theatre is..
this short film is for mature audience beacuse of it’s explicit content and adult humour..
so, kids could be happy at home.
vineeth
a few mins back while i was watching “before sunset,” it suddenly struck me that i should be writing this post asap. sometimes it’s very important that when ur mind wanders better than a bird, u should follow it with a laptop that has MS office. but my pc has been overused as always leaving inconsiderable amount of charge in it, making me beg my good old friend shaan to give me his MAC. of course i hate using MAC b’coz of my reluctance towards updating on technology. but all this is not important. what is important is this post and the fact that i am writing it. i am 29000 feet above the sea level, flying above international waters with a heart full of happiness. my U S tour is over and i am on my way back home. i ve got the show director G S VIjayan sitting right next to me wondering what i am typing [or he's probably sleeping, i don't know] and the most talented sayanora in the next seat glued to some movie playing in Qatar airways. but the world of vision is becoming smaller to me as and when i am writing this and the heart is filled with amazing memories i ve lived for the last forty days.
ever since Karale in 2005, i ve done umpteen number of stage shows in and out of my country, but this is for the first time that a stage tour has left me with so much of hangover and excitement. United states of America was not quite cordial when we arrived last month. there was this hurricane disaster called Irene [i don't know y storms are named after such beautiful female names]. The first week shows we had at Boston and New York got cancelled because of this beautiful feminine disaster. but truly it was a blessing in disguise. it gave all of us more time to rehearse, more time to get acquainted and more time to be a family. every day of rehearsal made the flow of the show better and crisp. by the time we did our first show in Orlando, all of us were thorough with our parts. after each show, we had this feeling that we were getting better as a group. having a good team is a rarity, but we were lucky to own this rarity. right from, seniors like Rahman kka [actor Rahman] to juniors like me, everyone tried to give their best. but that’s not just the thing that is making me write this post. more than the success of the show, the experience that this period gave my life is making me write this.
the tour bus that we would hop into every weekend would take us to different parts of america. not just america, it even took us to canada. but the beautiful nayagra falls is not even worth mentioning compared to the moments that i had on stage and at the back stage. i ve always been fascinated by back stages. it’s a place which would transform an ordinary man with undeniable passion into an artist of distinction. it’s the magic room which prepares you to go stand in front of thousands of people with a smile and an intention to touch their hearts. If u ask me, i could narrate hundreds of back stage experiences which has enthralled me in my short span of career. it’s the only place in this world where i could meet a shankar mahadevan or an SPB in close proximity, sipping the tea taken from the same flask as me. in this tour, this back stage was the place where i prepared myself to unleash all the madness clogged inside me. i believe, all of us have a lot of madness hidden inside us. that’s y we feel the need to do something adventurous or exciting. for a guy like me, the back stage and the vocal cord helps. the feeling of being ordinary vanishes the moment every artist reaches the back stage. when u pass that door and enter the back stage, everything changes. state of mind, intentions, energy level, paranoia.. everything. all you want to do is go out there and give ur best. Everytime the show was over, we had hundreds of people rushing to the back stage, clicking pictures with every single artist and speaking their heart out about the experience they had.
when we had our final show in houston, an old friend of mine called barath had come to watch our show. i feel really happy when my friends come to see my stage shows. after the show, i got out of the back stage with barath and we were walking towards his car while people going back were screaming “good show” & “come back to houston” and things like that. it’s those moments when u thank god for making all this happen. when we got into the car, barath asked me; “dude, u r touching people’s lives. what more do u want?” i had no answer. i simply smiled. there is no achievement beyond happy human faces, happy human lives. this understanding is definitely going to make my life simpler and my aspirations humbler. i feel that my life has some significance and some purpose in this mighty world of delusions. these forty days have made me a believer. and this belief would take me home to do the things ahead.
feels better.. i would go back and watch the movie now..
[will post this once i am in chennai. 29000 feet above the sea level provide thoughts, but not internet]
vineeth
14
Sep
11
Eli – trailer
for a couple of weeks now, i ve been touring across U.S.A with our stage shows and even forgot about the fact that my short film production is happening in Chennai. Alphonse [the director of Eli] told me that, by the time i am back, it’ ll be ready for screening. if any of u guys are interested to come for our preview show in chennai pls let me know. i guess a sexy tale is in the making
17
Aug
11
in the making!!
08
Aug
11
this is goa my friend…
There is a wooden cottage in Small Vagatore facing the sea; the sea which rumbles so beautifully 24/7 making me happy about the fact that I am alive and I am here.. If I go down the hill to reach the sands, I would find a shack wherein a 60 year old ‘maaji’ would cook fresh Mackerel rava masala fry for me. Sitting in one of those broken chairs there, u could feel the sea breeze touching ur soul. If u close ur eyes, it’s even more powerful. This is Goa my friend!!!
Goa is nothing like what u hear from ur friends or watch in movies. Every single Tom returning from goa will have a story to tell about how he got sloshed, how he partied, where he found “the grass,” blah blah blah… This is not goa.. This is what people make out of it. Goa is actually much much much more than that. It’s a place where u can actually communicate with nature. For instance, I went to Chappora fort a few days back. The archeological department has not yet taken up responsibilities on this amazing place which is a shame; but in a way a blessing. It’s not at all crowded like Aguada fort or Dona Paula or Calangute beach and there are no securities also. But once u climb up the hill and reach the fort, u would actually feel so peaceful. U would feel so connected to nature. For me, there was a constant piano playing in my heart and the moment it started to rain, it had an additional string back up . Rain is such a beautiful inconvenience. And once it stops, the breeze walks in with a twist and when u close ur eyes, it ll embrace u like ur mother. So pure, so sanctifying!!!
Goa brings such amazing visuals in front of ur eyes. My favorite is north goa, where I ve been staying for the past one week. Vagatore, anjuna, arambol, mapusa, tiracol there are so many places in north goa where u would find the villages of kerala with a Baskin Robbins Some places are just like kerala, but u would find a lot more smiling faces. People are nice but not too nice that they would poke their nose into ur lives. Just the right amount.
Goa is flooded with couples in love. Everywhere u go, u would find them. I love seeing people who are in love. You don’t get to watch them in public in kerala. Our small towns and villages treat adolescent romance like a sin. When I was in school, all of us used to keep our crushes like big secrets. If ur teacher finds it out, u ll ve to bring ur parents to school. It’s like a black mark on ur character. so the most sacred feeling of this planet was often hidden like a dark emotion. But of course there were exceptions. I ve a friend of mine called Abhilash who started seeing a junior girl called Jisha when we were in 7th std. They were caught by the teachers a million times and convicted for feeling for each other. But both of them were fearless. May be they knew it’s a sacred thing. By god’s grace now they are happily married and today when I see them, I feel proud. Standing for love is not a small thing. Of course true romance and unconditional love are all big words, but making an attempt towards it is a human responsibility. More than responsibility, it’s a necessity. There is so much to learn from a woman for a man and vice versa. I don’t know why I am saying all this, may be it’s because of Goa.
Tomorrow I am packing my bags from here. All these moments of experiences would become memories from the past. But one thing is for sure. From now on, if I am traveling, I would carry a map; not the stories that my friends tell me. Because, to a large extent, my experiences are going to shape from what I am and what I do. Goa has managed to teach me this. Thank u goa. I am taking u with me!!!! [with a piano playing and a string back up]
Vineeth..
29
Jul
11
goa calling..
guys, i am planning to go to goa..
reading, writing, eating and a bit of aimless roaming.. that’s the plan..
if u guys know any good places to eat, pls let me know.. [inexpensive would be nice]
also, if u could suggest some peaceful hangouts in goa, pls do..
tata..
